Adoption
Leading Adoption Solicitors
Osbornes Law team of adoption lawyers in London is headed by Naomi Angell. We specialise in this highly complex and specialist area of law, including international, intercountry, domestic and step-parent adoption cases. Read on to find out about our experience and how our lawyers can help you.
“Naomi is very knowledgeable on adoption and surrogacy. She is solution-focused and open to ideas.”
“Naomi Angell is the fount of all knowledge on adoption and surrogacy cases. She is a lawyer to whom judges defer.”
Adoption offers a secure, permanent way to build your family, and ‘traditional’ adoption is only one part of the story. The legal adoption process can also help parents secure legal parenthood over step children, children born via surrogacy, and donor-conceived children born after fertility treatment.
The legal pathway to adoption is thorough and, in many cases, complex, especially when overseas adoptions or donors are involved. Early, specialist legal advice can ensure stability for everyone involved in this modern route to family building.
Advice from internationally recognised adoption lawyers
The adoption team at Osbornes is headed up by Naomi Angell, the leading adoption lawyer in England. Naomi has over 45 years of experience in helping people expand their family through domestic and intercountry adoption. She is recognised in Chambers UK as a ‘Senior Statesperson’ for her expertise in adoption and children law, and has won multiple awards for leading on major policy changes.
Naomi heads up a full team of specialist family law and fertility law solicitors. Your solicitor will be on hand throughout to help you understand the rules that apply to your situation, and guide you step-by-step through every stage.
How can we help with adoption?
Our adoption solicitors support you through the entire adoption process, from answering your first questions to representing you in court. Here’s how we can help:
- UK adoption – help with adopting a child in care through a local council or UK adoption agency.
- Family adoption – help if you want to adopt a stepchild or a close family member.
- International adoption – we guide you through the process of adopting a child from another country, including “readoption” to ensure your family is legally recognised in the UK.
- Support for LGBTQ+ families – we make sure your parenting rights are protected, whatever your family set-up.
- Surrogacy and donor conception adoptions – if you’ve had a child with the help of a donor or surrogate and do not meet the requirements for a Parental Order, we help you apply for adoption instead.
What does the adoption process involve?
Adoption is a way of transferring legal parenthood from the child’s biological or birth parent(s) to the new parent(s), including parental rights and responsibilities for the child. It is usually an irreversible step in the UK. For that reason, the process is rigorous and centres on the child’s welfare.
Whilst many adoptions involve children who have been removed into care by the local authority, not every adoption occurs as a result of this process. Step-parents often adopt the children of their partners, and relatives often step in when the birth parents are not able to look after their child.
Advancements in fertility treatments have also introduced new ways for families to grow. Where a child is born through assisted reproduction, such as donor conception or embryo transfer, adoption can provide a route to securing full legal parenthood, especially if the intended parent is not genetically related to the child.
The route to adoption can therefore take different paths. Generally through, you can expect the following legal steps:
- Assessment – a social worker will assess your suitability to adopt, including background checks, interviews and a comprehensive assessment of your family.
- Legal application – your solicitor will lodge a petition for adoption in the family court along with the social worker’s report and any other relevant documentation. A copy of the petition is sent to the child’s birth parents and anyone else who is entitled to see a copy.
- Preliminary hearing – A first hearing is scheduled, usually within two months. If someone objects to the adoption, they must explain why in writing, and the court will set a timetable for what happens next. Another hearing may be arranged to look at the evidence. If no-one objects and all the right consents are given, the court can make the adoption order at this first hearing if this is best for the child’s future.
Our specialist adoption solicitors will be able to guide and support you through this journey.
Adopting children born through assisted reproduction
Surrogacy and adoption
When a child is born through surrogacy in the UK, the surrogate (and if married, her spouse or civil partner) is automatically considered the legal parent at birth, even if she uses donated eggs. The most common way to transfer legal parenthood to the intended parents is through a Parental Order obtained through the courts.
However, to secure a Parental Order, at least one of the parents must be genetically related to the child. If that link is missing, for example, donor sperm is used, adoption may then be the best way to transfer full legal parenthood to the intended parents.
IVF and assisted reproduction adoptions
Other forms of assisted reproduction, such as IVF, can also create situations where legal parenthood does not always follow what the parties intended.
In the UK, the woman who gives birth is automatically the legal mother. However, the status of her partner will depend on their legal relationship (whether they are married or in a civil partnership), the consents given before treatment, and the method of conception used. Signing the correct “consent to parenthood” forms is crucial – without them, the sperm donor could potentially be considered the legal father.
Home insemination arrangements carry significantly higher risks than in-clinic fertility treatment. Where conception occurs at home with a known donor, the donor may well be considered the legal father under UK law, regardless of any informal agreements made between the parties. In cases like these, adoption may be the safest way to formalise the parents’ relationship with the child.
If you are pursuing fertility treatment, we recommend that you get in touch as soon as possible. We can help you understand and consent to legal parenthood and tell you whether adoption is the best route to secure parental rights.
Post adoption issues
Adoption changes a child’s legal relationships forever, but it’s common for questions and challenges to arise even after the adoption order is made. We provide advice and representation on the full range of issues you might encounter, whether in a domestic, inter-country or fertility law adoption. This includes:
- Searching for and re-establishing contact with a birth parent, birth family members or the adopted child.
- On-going contact with the birth family or surrogate.
- Problems accessing post-adoption support from a local authority, health authority or education department.
- Changing family circumstances such as divorce, new partners or moving abroad that might affect your legal responsibilities or relationship with the child.
Start your adoption journey with expert legal support
Whether you’re adopting a stepchild, growing your family through surrogacy, or navigating international adoption, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Our nationally recognised adoption lawyers, led by Naomi Angell, provide clear, compassionate advice tailored to your unique situation.
Contact our adoption team today to discuss your options in complete confidence.
- Call 020 7485 8811, or
- Complete our online enquiry form.
Adoption FAQs
Can unmarried or same-sex couples adopt?
Yes. Adoption in the UK is open to single people, married couples, civil partners and unmarried same-sex/opposite-sex couples of all backgrounds, as long as you meet residency and age requirements.
Is embryo adoption legally recognised in the UK?
While not a legal term in the UK, embryo adoption refers to the medical practice of receiving donated embryos, usually from those who have already been through IVF treatment. The embryos are then implanted into the recipient, allowing the mother to carry the pregnancy and give birth to the child.
Legally, the child born from embryo donation is considered the child of the birth mother and her husband/ wife/ civil partner, with no parental rights for the embryo donor. However, parentage problems can arise if the second parent did not consent, or their consent form is incorrect or lost, or where the couple does not use an HFEA-licensed fertility clinic.
In these cases, we may need to apply to the court for a declaration of parentage and/or an adoption order.
When is adoption needed after surrogacy?
In most cases, the court will grant a Parental Order to transfer legal parenthood to the new parents. A Parental Order is not available if:
There is no genetic connection to the child At least one parent is not domiciled in the UK The surrogate doesn’t consent to the Parenting Order An application is not made within six months of the child’s birthIn these cases, the parent must explore alternative routes for securing parental responsibility, which could include adoption.
What rights do birth parents have once adoption is complete?
Adoption severs all legal ties between the child and its birth/biological parents, barring step-parent adoptions, where rights may be shared. Adoption is a permanent legal process, and it is extremely difficult to reverse it.
Do international adoptions confer British citizenship on the child?
Not always. Many international adoptions require additional legal steps to ensure the child becomes a British citizen and has the right to enter and remain in the UK. We can help with immigration advice to avoid leaving the child with uncertain status.
Osbornes has a culture of dedication to clients and hard work.
Osbornes do some really complex work. The team is very solutions-focused, know the law and know when to take a firm line.
Osbornes' solicitors know what their client needs on each day as it’s an emotional and difficult journey. They are always there, 24/7.
Maria takes a child-focused approach to cases. She is good at grasping how a child might feel in a situation and this makes her stand out as excellent in her field.
Jonathan is thorough, intelligent, hard-working and committed. He knows the law very well and is committed to the rights of children.
Bridget has a phenomenal reputation, is a very good lawyer and one of the stars in children work.
Osbornes offers a high level of client care and manages client expectations realistically.
They have a strong team, are heavyweights in this space and are very well respected in the courts.
Simone McGrath is an excellent international children lawyer.
Naomi is very knowledgeable on adoption and surrogacy. She is solution-focused and open to ideas.
Osbornes handle a significant amount of complex, high-value divorce work.
Osbornes have talented fee-earners at all levels.
Osbornes is a top-end firm, a very well-established name. They have high-value matters, deal with complex matters and have a good team.
I have found the team at Osbornes works very well together to diligently produce a quality end result. Client service has been excellent and I feel like I am in safe hands.
I consider them a go-to for conciliatory work on the children side.
Osbornes is a power house of a family firm. They are robust but realistic and client focused.
Osbornes has lawyers with excellent experience.
Osbornes is a hugely impressive firm that offers strength and depth to its clients.
Bridget Thompson handles child inclusive mediations.
Lisa pepper heads the Mediation team and she is often mediating for high-net-worth individuals in both financial and private children matters.
Simone McGrath has an incredible knowledge of international cases. She has been involved in many leading cases and is a go-to lawyer in the field.
The family law team at Osbornes is one of the strongest in London.
Maria Kitsiou heads up the domestic children offering.
Lauren Hall leads the international children team.
The firm’s alternative parenting team is headed up by Naomi Angell, handling domestic and international adoption, surrogacy, and fertility issues.
Osbornes‘ family team is headed up by Mark Freedman, a mediator and fighter who will get the job done on both complex financial matters and international children cases.
A market leader across public law, international cases, financial and children work.
The team is experienced in handling matters where there are allegations of abuse and non-accidental injury, as well as situations where children's welfare is at risk due to parents' substance misuse or mental health issues.
The lawyers at Osbornes are very well established and have a lot of experience between them, which gives them a lot of confidence and a willingness to think out of the box.
Their client care is really impressive and they have such breadth of experience
In a long standing issue with my ex and our child, Lisa and her team have always given me advice that has been first class. Lisa has a deep knowledge of how the courts work and which arguments will work and which will not and will advice exactly what to do and when.
My solicitor Jon Jonas came across as a genuine, very skilled solicitor who demonstrated great insights and experience in complex child arrangement cases. He has been able to create and implement an effective strategy to deal with extremely toxic matters.
Naomi Angell has considerable strength in adoption, surrogacy and fertility issues
Bridget Thompson is a public law specialist noted for her extensive children public law practice.
Naomi Angell is a renowned practitioner in the market with a wealth of experience in family cases involving immigration issues. She has a depth of knowledge in surrogacy issues and is respected for her experience handling adoption matters.
"She is responsive and very knowledgeable – she knows everything on the family law side of adoption and is also very generous with her time."
"Naomi is second to none in her knowledge of adoption and her work in surrogacy is also a strength."
"She has an encyclopaedic knowledge and an in-depth understanding of this work. She's extremely empathetic and can put herself in the client's shoes. She's also very strategic and is good at pre-empting litigation."
"Their family department is very strong, from adoption to child abduction and matrimonial finance, this is a very strong team."
"Naomi Angell is a stand out individual who is well regarded as to the go-to lawyer in her field. What Naomi doesn’t know about adoption is not worth knowing."
"David Leadercrammer is such an experienced wonderful lawyer who you would want on the other side of your case. He’s sensible, pragmatic and hugely experienced in money and children cases."
"She is the queen of inter-country adoption. She is experienced in the field over a long period of time. She has wonderful client skills and is committed to getting proper outcomes."
"She is an adoption superstar. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of immigration law, and knows what's on the horizon due to her involvement in policy."
Simone McGrath – Exceptional knowledge of international children matters, particularly 1980 Hague Convention cases. Fights hard for her clients.
Naomi Angell – the doyenne of adoption and surrogacy family law, dedicated to her clients and hardworking.
The team has considerable strength in adoption, surrogacy and fertility matters through Naomi Angell.
"Highly recommended
Bridget and Amy-Jo were very supportive during what were very stressful proceedings. They were collaborative and I felt listened to and part of a team rather than just a client. We ended up being successful at the hearing.""Bridget Thompson combines her excellent legal knowledge with a clear, succinct and robust style of advice and advocacy. Her approach clearly inspires a high degree of client confidence in her"
"She's extremely knowledgeable and highly professional."
"She is the guru when it comes to international adoption and she's an expert in her field."
"She is excellent. She's very reliable, talks about her cases passionately and is very committed to her clients."
"I consider the firm to be very experienced in child care cases and to provide a very professional and high standard of work"
Naomi Angell has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience.
Bridget Thompson is a public law specialist noted for her extensive practice in matters involving alternative families and adoption. An interviewee observes: "She's a fighter, she's clever, and she understands all aspects of a case."
"Naomi Angell is a highly esteemed practitioner who is highlighted as "a leader in the field" and "extremely knowledgeable" by interviewees. She is particularly recognised for her experience in complex adoption disputes."
"Naomi Angell is a leading name in international adoption."
"Well-regarded family practice assisting clients with substantial matrimonial disputes and sensitive children proceedings."
"Simone is absolutely on top of the game. She has great attention to detail, and has her clients' needs at heart."
"Bridget is client-focused, a pleasure to work with and incredibly supportive to her clients."
"Recognised for its expertise in both domestic and international adoption, as well as assisted conception."
"Naomi Angell is a leading figure in domestic and inter-country adoptions, and also has expert knowledge of related fertility and surrogacy issues."
"Naomi Angell is phenomenal. She's done it for so long and knows so much that she's a fount of knowledge. If Naomi doesn't know something, it isn't worth knowing."
Bridget Thompson heads the family team, where client care is the top priority.
Simone McGrath is a highly knowledgeable practitioner with a focus on international child abduction matters. She has a large expertise in public and private law.
Naomi Angell is the doyenne of inter-country adoption and the font of all knowledge in this area.
Highly respected for her [Naomi Angell] focused on cross-border children work, including surrogacy matters.
Simone McGrath handles international child abduction cases and challenging care proceedings relating to non-accidental injuries.
Naomi Angell advises on international adoptions and complex surrogacy matters. She is commended for her broad, in-depth experience."
Naomi Angell is an expert in adoption issues.
This team is perhaps best known for its children work, often involving complex international dynamics.
Naomi Angell leads the market in cross-border children law matters. Sources confirm that she is "at the cutting edge of changing law and policy" when it comes to international adoption
Naomi Angell is described as hugely experienced, calm and a good listener.
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